The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has issued a show-cause notice to Air India after three Italian nationals bypassed mandatory immigration clearance procedures. According to the notice dated September 12, the three passengers arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, at 0050 hours on September 4 on Air India flight AI-1115 from Amritsar. They subsequently travelled onward to Munich on Lufthansa flight LH-763 at 0145 hours the same day, as reported by Business Standard.
The incident involved a codeshare partnership between Air India and Lufthansa, which has been operational since 2004 and was expanded in February 2025. Under this arrangement, passengers can book connecting journeys across the two airlines on a single itinerary. As reported by Business Standard, the MoCA characterized the incident as a 'serious security and immigration-related lapse' during Air India's 'Hub & Spoke' service operations.
The MoCA issued the notice over an alleged violation of the Standard Operating Procedure for Hub & Spoke operations. According to the ministry's September 12 notice, the passengers were able to leave India without completing the mandatory departure immigration process. The MoCA has sought an explanation from Air India over how the passengers were permitted to proceed from their domestic arrival at Delhi to an international departure without the required immigration clearance.
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said it had not received any show-cause notice in connection with the matter. A DIAL spokesperson stated that 'Security at IGIA is managed under a multi-agency framework' and that the airport operator remains 'fully committed to supporting all security and government agencies and complying with all laid-down protocols', as reported by Business Standard.
Air India did not issue any statement on the matter, according to Business Standard reports. The incident highlights potential security vulnerabilities in India's aviation immigration processes, particularly regarding codeshare operations and passenger transfer procedures between domestic and international flights.
